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Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (बड़े मियाँ छोटे मियाँ) (1998 film)

Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (बड़े मियाँ छोटे मियाँ, "Big Master, Little Master") is a 1998 Hindi-language action comedy directed by David Dhawan, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda in dual roles as police inspectors and the look-alike thieves who frame them.1 • 2 Released on 16 October 1998, it was a box office hit and one of the year's top commercial successes.1 • 3

Key factDetail
Release16 October 1998, India; Hindi language1
Director / writerDavid Dhawan; written by Rumi Jaffery1
Lead castAmitabh Bachchan as Insp. Arjun Singh / Bade Miyan; Govinda as Pyare Mohan / Chote Miyan4
MusicViju Shah; lyrics by Sameer1
Budget / grossBudget ₹120 million (₹12 crore); India nett ₹191.9 million (₹19.19 crore); worldwide gross ₹352.1 million (₹35.21 crore)1
VerdictHit; released on 320 screens1
Runtime144 minutes per Box Office India; other listings give 140 to 150 minutes1 • 5

Spoilers

Plot

Police inspectors Arjun Singh and Pyare Mohan work in the same Mumbai police station. They cannot stand each other but need each other's help to solve crimes. Their lives turn when a series of crimes and robberies is committed by thieves called Bade Miyan and Chote Miyan, who are look-alikes of the two officers. Witnesses identify the policemen as the culprits, an inquiry finds evidence of their involvement, and they are suspended. Arjun and Pyare must set aside their rivalry and find out who framed them and why.2 • 6 The film ends with Arjun and Pyare demoted to traffic police while Bade and Chote take their places as police inspectors.6

Cast and crew

Amitabh Bachchan plays Inspector Arjun Singh and his look-alike Vijay Nigam (Bade Miyan), and Govinda plays Pyare Mohan and his look-alike Sunil Nigam (Chotey Miyan).4 The supporting cast includes Raveena Tandon as Seema Singh, Ramya Krishnan as Neha, Anupam Kher as Police Commissioner Shyamlal, Paresh Rawal as Zorawar, Satish Kaushik as Sharafat Ali, and Sharat Saxena.4 • 7

The film was produced by Vashu Bhagnani, with Box Office India listing the production banner as Epic Enterprises and other listings crediting Tips Industries.1 • 8 Rumi Jaffery wrote the screenplay and dialogue.1

Music

The score and songs were composed by Viju Shah, with lyrics by Sameer.1 In a later interview, Shah said the characters were "total Bhindi bazar type" and that the tunes were Indian but heavy, using Indian instruments; he named "Kisi Disco Mein Jayein" among the songs and said the title song, the first recorded, was his favorite.3 David Dhawan and Sameer met Shah at 9 each morning to finalize songs within an hour.3 The soundtrack includes "Bade Miyan To Bade Miyan", performed by Udit Narayan, Sudesh Bhonsle, Rakesh Pandit, and Poonam Bhatia.2 A YouTube release of the film also lists "Makhna" among its popular tracks.9

Box office

Made on a budget of ₹120 million (₹12 crore), the film earned ₹191,900,000 nett in India and ₹352,181,250 worldwide, including $525,000 overseas, and was rated a Hit by Box Office India.1 It opened on 320 screens with a first day of ₹10,800,000 and a first week of ₹63,300,000.1 Box Office India notes it would have taken a record opening but released pre-Diwali and was a hit in some circuits.1 The Indian Express describes it as the biggest commercial success of its year with a collection of over ₹350 million (₹35 crore), despite clashing with Karan Johar's Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.3 Sacnilk lists a similar worldwide total of ₹351.4 million (₹35.14 crore) and a budget of ₹100 million (₹10 crore), with a Hit verdict.10

Reception and legacy

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 5.9/10.2 Rotten Tomatoes records a Tomatometer of 37% and a Popcornmeter audience score based on 250+ ratings.8 A University of Hyderabad thesis counts it among the hits of the Govinda and David Dhawan partnership, which spanned 19 movies including Raja Babu (1994) and Haseena Maan Jayegi (1999).11

The title returned to theaters in 2024: a new action film of the same name, starring Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, was released on 10 April 2024, also co-produced by Vashu Bhagnani.12 • 13 The 2024 film has no story connection to the 1998 comedy.14

References

  1. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan – Movie, Box Office India
  2. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) – IMDb
  3. Viju Shah recalls composing songs for Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda's Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, The Indian Express
  4. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) – Full cast & crew, IMDb
  5. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan streaming, JustWatch
  6. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) – Plot, IMDb
  7. बड़े मियाँ छोटे मियाँ Cast & Crew, Filmibeat Hindi
  8. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan – Rotten Tomatoes
  9. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan 1998 Full Movie With English Subtitle, YouTube
  10. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998) – Box Office, Sacnilk
  11. University of Hyderabad thesis on Govinda and David Dhawan films
  12. From Bade Miyan Chote Miyan to Ittefaq: When old titles were used for new films, Bollywood Hungama
  13. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan – Yash Raj Films
  14. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan preview, TV9 Hindi

Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026

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